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BMW M760i all dressed up for hundredth birthday festivities

BMW is the latest automaker to be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. So to mark the occasion, the Bavarian automaker is rolling out a special anniversary edition of its flagship 7 Series sedan. Somewhat awkwardly labeled as the BMW Individual 7 Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS, the celebratory edition features a number of special touches to set it apart. The bodywork is painstakingly painted in a unique shade of Centennial Blue metallic, with two-tone 20-inch wheels and handcrafted emblems. The interior meanwhile is highlighted by off-white, fine-grain leather – quilted and trimmed with hand-woven piping – with matching Alcantara headliner and piano-black trim. Of course there are the requisite special badges inside and out, and each sedan comes with a specially made Montblanc fountain pen. Only 100 examples will be made for distribution worldwide, with three different engine options depending on the market. The US market will only get five examples based on the recently revealed M760i xDrive performance model, complete with 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 driving 610 horsepower to all four wheels. As a special version of Munich's top-of-the-line luxury sedan, pricing will surely fall within "if you have to ask" territory, so we'll just wish BMW a happy birthday and rest assured that each of the hundred individually numbered examples will find a good home. The BMW 7 Series centennial models "BMW Individual 7 Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS". Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 19, 2016...Today BMW announced the "BMW Individual 7 Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS" models to mark the company's centenary, representing the historically evolved technological competence of the world's leading manufacturer of premium automobiles and emphasize the exclusivity with which both luxury and innovation are expressed. The BMW 7 Series centennial models are being produced in a limited quantity with only 100 units available worldwide with three different engine variants. The US market will receive 5 units and it will be exclusively available as the "BMW Individual M760i xDrive Model V12 Excellence THE NEXT 100 YEARS" centennial model, featuring a 12-cylinder engine producing 610 hp (preliminary) and a unique combination of state-of-the-art comfort, luxury and dynamic agility. This centennial model will be available by the end of 2016.

BMW doubles i8 production to meet demand

They're not exactly Ford F-150 pickup truck numbers, but global sales of the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid are spurring the German automaker to step up the supercar's pace of production. As rumored, Bimmer, which has been pretty happy with sales of its i3 electric vehicle, is going to double the production pace of the i8. BMW's Germany factory will now put out about 20 i8 vehicles a day, Automotive News Europe says. That should cut down the wait time for the model, which started sales in both Europe last June and in the US two months later. Right now, buyers have to wait about four months to get their i8 plug-in vehicles, Automotive News Europe says, citing German outlet Automobil Produktion. Given that the cars retail for $135,000, we suspect these are people who probably aren't accustomed to wait for much. In January, BMW said that it sold almost 18,000 i3 and i8 plug-in vehicles last year globally, with about a third of those going to the US. Specifically, BMW moved 555 units of the i8 last year (and the vehicle was really only available for about five months) and another 198 through February. Through February, Bimmer also moved 1,759 units of the i3. Related Videos: Featured Gallery 2015 BMW i8: First Drive View 62 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe - sub.req. via Automobil Produktion Green Plants/Manufacturing BMW Electric PHEV ev sales

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.